SATIRES OF THE GEORGIAN ERA
I. THE SATIRIST'S POSITION
THE art of the eighteenth century still depended, espe-
cially in the earlier part, largely on the demands and
purses of the aristocracy; and the aristocracy were in
general becoming not merely richer, but more in-
terested in beauty and erudition. Enlightenment was
perceptible in (to take only some instances) Lords Hali-
fax, Burlington, Chesterfield, Shaftesbury of the Charac-
teristics, Lyttleton of Hagley, and the unpopular Bute
who discovered William (later Sir William) Chambers*
Production of that art in increasing quantities was
nevertheless effected by a middle class moving gradu-
ally toward independence. From the beginning of the
century men of culture congregated in clubs and coffee
houses, those republics of the arts; and these associa-
tions persisted, from Addison's meetings with his
friends at Button's or the Bedford Head to Dr. Johnson
who with Sir Joshua Reynolds founded the Literary
Club in 1764, By Dr. Johnson one might measure the
advance towards literary emancipation and the con-
solidation of positions won since Pope had denigrated
Lord Hervey. Johnson, who repudiated the faintest
suspicion of patronage in the manner of Lord New-
haven (vide BoswelPs Life, ann* 1779), gave offence to
Lord Lyttleton's friends by his free opinion of that